Festivals and Marketplace Buying–Selling

During festivals, buying and selling seem to take on a monstrous scale. Whatever the occasion, it all comes down to the same chorus: buy this, buy that, so many percent off here, a special offer there, buy one get one free, lucky draw prizes. Every festival, every corner, is flooded with it.

Hundreds, thousands of traders and contractors descend in countless ways to peddle their wares. The festival itself fades into the background, leaving only the marketplace. This all-devouring bazaar stretches out its many arms to seize you, its thick fingers grinding into your very bones. And you too, within your means, step onto this stage of endless transactions.

India's Independence Day 2025

I am writing this article on 16 August 2025. Yesterday, 15 August, was India's 79th Independence Day. Over the last fortnight, this commercial frenzy has seemed even more blatant to me. 

"It's here, it's here, it's here!" — India's Independence Day. Dear friends, folks, guys, what are you waiting for? The bumper sales are on! Incredible discounts on every necessity.

Buy electronics: minimum 25% off. Fashionwear: up to 70% off. Thinking of jewellery? Buy pieces worth over one lakh rupees and take home a free 2-gram, 22-carat gold coin, engraved with the tricolour!

And this year, Independence Day fell on a Friday. Which means 16th and 17th were the weekend, and with a sick leave on the 18th, you get a long weekend holiday. Why not take an Independence Day tour — Puri, Digha, Agra, Ooty? Full packages available, hotel bookings included. Use voucher code "FREEDOM79" for unbeatable offers. And yes, if you pay with select company credit cards or via UPI, you can get up to an extra 2.5% cashback.

What, man? You're celebrating Independence Day without special dining? What an odd fellow you are! Come to our restaurant instead. This week we offer the "Royal Independence Day Platter" — includes two types of fish, chicken, mutton, egg curry, and so much more — all for only ₹1,199! And yes, it's shareable — bring a friend along. But please, no bargaining; the price is fixed.

Janmashtami 2025

Oh my, Independence Day has passed? No matter. The very next day, 16 August, it's Janmashtami. Lord Krishna himself has come to rescue you — and if you don't shop today, we'll assume you're an atheist!

Light up your home with lamps, garlands, decorations. Buy sweets, butter, laddus. Never mind your diabetes — Krishna loves them, and devotion is what counts. Didn't he say something like that in the Gita? Whatever it was, the gist remains: open your wallet.

And don't just buy for yourself! Won't you give gifts to your friends, relatives, your special ones? How selfish of you otherwise!

This Janmashtami, the perfect gift for your parents: devotional music CDs. A collection of sacred songs — pick them up today!

And what about the children? Will you not teach them about Sanatan Dharma and India's traditions? Be careful; neglect this and your child will go astray. To help, we're offering 40% off all books in our "Religion and Mythology for Children" section. Hurry!

Ummm, since you're already shopping, why not add a few OTT subscriptions for your friends? Watch how thrilled they'll be when you give them streaming access — khush hoga, shabashi dega!

The Ongoing Spectacle

And so it goes. Whatever the occasion, everything becomes a commodity. Your emotions too are packaged for sale. Either you are a seller, or you are the target audience.

We cannot object to human emotions like love, respect, and faith. One can express their emotions in whatever way they want unless it disturbs others. The problem is that these shrewd sellers tie every festival to their products. As if the only way to validate your emotions is to consume what they sell. As if the measure of your love is simply how much you spend. If you're poor, or unwilling to spend, your affection apparently counts for nothing.

Ubiquity

This marketplace is everywhere. Posters in neighbourhood alleys, shops, marketplaces. Advertisements on TV, on every website, on Facebook. Search for anything on Google and, lo and behold, ads on that very thing follow you into your reading feed.

During festivals this assault intensifies. There is no escape. You may keep your eyes and ears shut in the streets, resolve not to turn on the television. Still, they will find you — making phone calls with festival offers, slipping into your inbox, pinging you on WhatsApp.

The "Unsafe Space"

One might argue, what's wrong with it? Businesses will advertise according to their size and market capitalisation. If you don't like it, just ignore it. No one is forcing you to participate.

Well, there's some logic in that, I suppose. Yet two problems remain. First, the market is all-encompassing. It manipulates your emotions, pressures you into social conformity. Escaping it is not that easy.

Second, it creates an unsafe space. You may have heard policies on "safe spaces" and "unsafe spaces" in your office or college. I am convinced that this relentless commercialisation of human emotions and festivals makes every space unsafe. Where any particular place churns with buying and selling, profit and loss, tricks and schemes — how can the same place remain a refuge — like the child at rest on the mother's lap — a safe space? Such an expectation is nothing but an illusion.

See also

• উৎসবের দিনগুলো ও বেচা–কেনা, you may read this post in Bangla also
  

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This page was last updated on: 16 August 2025
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